Certain products may be ordered in various configurations. Examples may include, but are not limited to, automobiles and personal computers. Retailers of these products may often place orders for a large number of these types of products, specifying the configurations that they expect will sell best. Before an order is filled, however, a retailer may want to change an order for various reasons. One example may be when an automobile dealer learns that a particular color is not selling well after the order is placed. Another example may be when a customer wants a configuration that is not among those that have been ordered.
Manufacturers, on the other hand, may be unable to make last minute order changes. One reason, for example, may be that the manufacturers do not happen to have the needed parts on hand. Although manufacturers might be able to increase their stock of parts to anticipate last minute changes, this may add undesirable costs to the manufacturing process.